Are You Too Stressed? Take the Stress Test!

The textbook definition of stress boils down to “if you’re alive, then you’re stressed”. So, if you say you’re not, then you’re either lying or dead.

Everyone experiences stress and responds to stress differently. How you handle it depending on your physical and mental health at the time. What totally stresses you out might not even faze the next guy.

So, how do you know if you have too much stress, or badly managed stress?

If any of the following situations sound familiar, and you experience them frequently, then you may be headed for some serious health problems.

Your shoulders and/or back are in knots, but you think “that’s normal”

Your face is pinched and your jaw is set and your eyes are squinting. Try something. Relax your face and see what happens. See? Ahhhh…

Your head feels like its going to burst open or pop off due to a massive headache or migraine

You can’t poop or you’re pooping all the time

You constantly worry about getting a horrible disease

You feel nauseous and you’re retching in the a.m. – every day, or just sometimes…

It seems you’re always sick, or getting sick, or just getting done being sick

You’re finding a lot of hair in the shower drain

You get zits

Your eyes or lips twitch

You don’t have the energy you used to, and you don’t know why

You break out in hives

Your hands shake. Are they shaking now?

You’re fidgety – tap, tap, tapping or bouncing or jiggling. Stop it!

You bite your nails

Your chest gets tight and it’s hard to breathe

Your throat gets small and it’s hard to swallow

You pick your lip or chew the inside of your cheek

You grind your teeth

You clear your throat a lot (phlegm stress)

You feel lost

You’re gaining weight but you’re not eating more than usual

You’re eating everything that’s not nailed down

You’re eating junk food or fast food

You’re not hungry at all and can’t imagine eating

You’re losing weight because you don’t have the time or energy or desire to eat

You decide your friends are no longer your friends

I love you. I hate you. Leave me alone. Don’t leave me.

You stop being a good friend/mother/wife/husband because you’re too busy

The blame game is the only game in town

You say things like, “I’m sorry I’m taking everything out on you”

You’re late for everything

You BURST OUT crying in the grocery store

You’re hyper-critical of the ones you love the most… and of everyone else

You say really hurtful and inappropriate things

You BURST OUT laughing at a funeral

You can’t stop yelling at your husband or your kids

You want to punch something

You throw a ping pong paddle at your friend while giving them the double bird, screaming “I hate you!”

You find the ice cream in the pantry the day after you unload the groceries

You leave your keys in the car…or the freezer

Simple math is hard math

You’re looking for your glasses and they’re on your head

You think everything would be better if you just have a drink… or 5

You smoke too much pot. Is that possible? Kidding…

You think one more little Valium couldn’t hurt

You don’t smoke but you want a cigarette anyway

You spend $1000 on a feather bed but you can’t pay your rent

You’re convinced you’re going to die a pauper

You’re clumsy – you trip over, run into, drop and spill things

You’re avoiding work or friends or events

You’re go, go, go all the time

Thoughts swirl around your head and you fixate on things

You not only sweat the small stuff but you also… um…sweat

You hide from the world in inappropriate places where you can “just be yourself”

You don’t take care of yourself because you’re too busy

You’re having health issues

You stress about stress

If some of these things sound just a little too much like you, or someone you love, then it’s time to take action to reduce the stress.

We all experience short term stress once in a while, things like taking a test or giving a speech or trying something new – things that make your heart pound or your palms sweat. As soon as the event is over, though, the physical signs disappear quickly, usually before resulting in serious health consequences.

Then, there are those guaranteed stressors like losing a job, getting married, having a baby, getting divorced, changing jobs, buying a house…. Again, these are usually manageable in the short term but you should definitely incorporate some stress relieving activities to get you through the rough spots.

The real scary problem is your prolonged or long term stress. The constant daily pressures that you “just live with” can be the path to disease and even sudden death.

Hey, we care about you, so do the right thing and take care of yourself and the ones you love. Besides being your one-stop shop for medical supplies we can help you find products by medical condition, including stress. See All Stress Management Products.

Valerie Paxton is a co-founder of AllegroMedical.com and lives in Phoenix, AZ. In 1997 she set out with her business partner, Craig Hood to form Allegro Medical - a company dedicated to helping people lead more independent and healthy lives.
They poured their knowledge and experience into AllegroMedical.com and now have more than 1 million customers nationwide.
Valerie has a degree in Journalism from the University of Nebraska and has spent most of her career in communications, marketing, PR, and investor relations. She enjoys giving advice, mentoring, volunteering, writing, reading, cooking, telling funny stories, healthy eating, her cocker spaniel Honey, her boyfriend Todd, hiking, kayaking, jokes and world travel.
Follow Valerie on Twitter at http://twitter.com/vpaxton